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NNAT2 Exam Frequently Asked Questions

Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test® (NNAT2®) Exam

The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT2) is a culture-fair, nonverbal measure of reasoning and problem solving abilities. This test does not require English language skills or mathematics, instead consisting of problems that use a complex set of geometric shapes and designs.

To determine your child's aptitude, the NNAT2 exam assesses how your child does on things that are new to them. Therefore, the exam has many types of questions that your child would not have seen before. If your child understands the short set of directions that the administrator reads to your child prior to each section, they will probably do OK on the exam, but if they misunderstand the brief description, they can miss entire sections on the exam - due to a misunderstanding, not their intellect.

Given that many schools rely solely on these test scores to place your child in the best programs, it would be highly beneficial to make sure that your child understands what each of the test areas is asking so that you could fix any issues before exam day.

Our full-length practice tests for the NNAT2 exam are in the same format as the exam. With our practice tests your child will become familiar with how the tests are formatted, the symbols used and the number of questions in each test area so that you can ensure they know what each test area is asking.

In 2011 the publisher of this test came out with the second version of the test so that they could update the norm tables used in assessing the scores of students across the U.S. They wanted to expand the age groups down to 4 year of age and up to 18 years of age.

The various types of scores utilized in the NNAT2 2011 updated norms are the same as those provided by the previous edition. There were no changes in the test items, scoring methods, score flow, the methods used to derive different types of scores, or the potential use and interpretation of the scores. The only change is the updated norm tables for deriving the NNAT2 Naglieri Ability Index (NAI). When using NNAT2 for the extended ages, Level A should be used for 4 year olds, and Level G should serve for 18 year olds.

In their desire to finish quickly or first, many children select the first answer that seems right to them without looking all of the answers and choosing the one that best answers the question. No additional points are given for finishing the test early. Make sure your child understands the importance of evaluating all the answers before choosing one.

The official guideline from the publisher is that students should not guess if they do not know the answer – that random guessing compromises the validity of the scores. However, the NNAT2 score is calculated based on the number of right answers and the student is not penalized for incorrect answers. As a parent looking for a high score, it is better for your child to answer all questions than leave an answer blank.

The unique aspect of the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test is that it is completely nonverbal. This allows assessment of student’s intellect across boundaries such as cultural background or with those students with limited English skills. It is also considered a fairer test across social or economic status and for those students with limited motor skills, hearing impairments, and minimal color-vision impairment.